Story of Mountains, Monasteries & Maggi – Sikkim

It all started with the random plan with my bestie. With her being in Kolkatta and me in Mumbai, we seldom get to meet. But who can stop the wandering souls from all the planning. So one fine day, we decided to explore the magical land of Sikkim & got our tickets booked and just flew away.

My journey to Sikkim itself was eventful. I had almost missed the plane by reporting on wrong terminal & realizing it 10 minutes before takeoff. Running along the airport with shoes in my hand & people staring at the me.

The itinerary included travelling across North Sikkim & covering –

Places in & around Gangtok.

Lachen & Lachung

Namchi

Day 1 –

Had reached Bagdogra by 12:30 pm. Took a cab from airport &reached Gangtok by evening. It takes approx. 4.5 hours to reach Gangtok, depending on the road conditions. Checked into the hotel & just had a good night sleep. That included gossip sessions till early morning !

Day 2 –

We had a lazy morning breakfast & then headed off to roam Gangtok. We had booked a cab for the day tour. Got to visit the beautiful monsasteries – Rumtek Monastery, Ranka Monastery, Do-drul Chorten Monastery. Each surpassing the other in architecture marvels….

Also, then were mesmerized by visit to Jawaharlal Nehru Botanical Garden. The

Ranka Monastery

An evening in Gangtok in incomplete without walk on MG Road. We enjoyed our leisure walk in rain on MG Road. And headed to “Golden Dragon” for dinner. This place has Karaoke Sessions every night & all the guests join in the singing.

Day 3 –

Time for us to head further into the beauty of Sikkim. One can easily book shared tours to Lachen & Lachung from Gangtok. We need to get permits arranged for visiting various places in North Sikkim. The hotel owners easily get that done.

Get Set Go !

It takes approx. 6 hours to reach Lachen covering the distance of 123 km. The first sight of the snow-clad mighty Himalayas is breath taking. Lunch is generally served on the small hotels along the way. It’s almost evening and we stay in with the locals at their home for the night. The people are generous and open up their hearts to all travelers alike.

Day 4 –

Our day started early at 5:00 hrs in the morning. We moved towards Gurudongmar Lake via Chopta Valley. Never before had sight left me as mesmerized as this.

Gurudongmar Lake

Gurudongmar Lake is located at height of 17100 ft. Legend says that there was no drinking water available in the area & Guru Padmasambhava had walked over a part of lake. This part never freezes, so that local people can have access to drinking water throughout the year.

Same evening we started our journey further to Lachung and rented out rooms in small yet cozy Bed & Breakfast Inn.

Day 5 –

We explored Yumthang Valley, the valley of flowers. But did not get to see much of it, as the flowers had just begun blooming in April. Continuing our drive to Yumesamdong, also known as Zero Point. It stands tall as a natural border between India & China.

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2 thoughts on “Story of Mountains, Monasteries & Maggi – Sikkim”

Dear mam,
I have read your blog and was really amused by your unique experience in Sikkim. I am a Doctoral Research Scholar and I am working on Sikkim Tourism. It would be an honor to get your experience for research. Please contact me at mrdjgurung@gmail.com. I will be eagerly waiting for your response.Or you can directly submit your feedback by clicking

I have been to Sikkim. Infact it was one of my most memorable holidays ever. Your post brought back nostalgic memories. I was lucky to get to nathu- la and changu lake. Truly blissful. The quietness of the mountains the beauty of Kanchenjunga and the Rumtel monastery . Loved every bit of Sikkim